


A little company

by Feli_X



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, Fear, Hurt/Comfort, Just Add Kittens, Light Angst, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Pain, Trans Male Character, TransGavin, maybe extra chapter of bdsm to help Nines overcome his fear of pain with masochist Gavin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-17 23:16:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21518068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feli_X/pseuds/Feli_X
Summary: After deviating during his fall from a rooftop, Nines is struggling to process the fear and pain he felt, and the swarm of negative emotions he now has to deal with. Gavin offers some distractions and company, hoping to pull his partner out of his rough patch with a little help from his kits.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 12
Kudos: 57





	A little company

_It's been, yet another, excruciatingly long day..._

Nines breaks his focus on the bare wall in front of him, looking over to the open window and up to the grey clouds above. He can hear the patter of rain hitting the building... Cars idling and impatient horns sounding off in the distance... Music, whether from a neighboring apartment or from the streets, he's not sure. _It wouldn't be too difficult to locate the noise, but for some reason, he can't seem to find the motivation for it._

He's been alone in his apartment for almost two weeks, staring at the same four blank, beige walls, and cream carpet. He'd never felt the desire to decorate his apartment before deviating... It seemed pointless. A waste of time, money, and energy that could be devoted to more important matters. All he needed was a chair, a table, a dresser, and a mirror... _Needed._

Now, glancing around what's supposed to be his home, Nines can feel that familiar hollow pit in sinking into his chest, clutching at his throat. Phantom pains have been constant since his deviation. Ones that make it hard to breathe and think... But it's nothing compared to that night. 

Nines had chased their suspect up to the roof, certain he could find a way to resolve the situation by himself, instead of waiting for his partner to take the lift. He's always moved with confidence, relying on calculations and statistics to guide him, Nines felt no hesitation in following their suspect around a narrow ledge... He had not, however, noticed the man pick up an abandoned metal pipe, and although the swipe missed him, it was still enough to throw Nines off balance.

He'd been given the opportunity to deviate once before. The red wall... And he'd dismissed it, choosing to place his performance over his freedom...

When the red wall presented itself again, in surge of sheer panic at feeling the world disappear from beneath his feet, he broke through... He didn't even spare a single second to weigh the benefits against the limitations deviation might place on him... _He was too scared._ Emotions would randomly make themselves known even as a machine, but it was relatively easy to dismiss them if desired. To just turn them off like a faucet...

...But when he accepted, and the wall disappeared... It left no escape from the fear this time, and every previously numb sensor in his body sprang to life. No longer just readings of pressure, temperature, texture... Instead he could _feel_ it. The wind whipping past, biting at any slither of exposed skin. The cold rain, biting and sharp as he fell past each drop. He almost forgot what was happening to him as everything lit up at once... Overwhelming and bright... _Until reality returned, knocking the breath from him._

_Pain... Unimaginable pain._ He could hear his body impact the concrete. Chassis cracking open and limbs mangled. Everything in his body screamed, every nerve erupting into a flash of white-hot searing agony. Tears blended in with the cold rain pattering down on his face as Nines choked on his own thirium, nothing to keep him company except the countdown of this life... Cold. Alone. Scared... Then the timer hit zero, and everything turned to nothing.

They fixed his broken body as his consciousness lingered in his DataCore, timeless and void of thought, unaware. He has no memory of it however... Just nothing, then seizing awake into a brightly lit room with Cyberlife technicians, thoughtless machines and empty space... _Where were his friends?_

No one had been aware he'd deviated, Nines startled the technicians as he awoke in a blind panic, struggling against restraints still left in place from his repairs. They eventually managed to calm him, contacting Detective Reed, Connor, and Lieutenant Anderson, Officers Chen and Miller accompanying them in hopes of helping.

Nines tried to go back to work. Tried his hardest... _But it wasn't enough._ He kept reliving the fall. The pain. The fear. He lost confidence in risks he'd taken before without a second thought as to his wellbeing... A loud noise would make him flinch, thirium pump sputtering in his chest, and even the possibility of encountering something painful was enough for his mind to recoil in terror. _So Captain Fowler told him to take some time off to 'work through his shit'... in the kindest way possible, of course._

So here he sits, for the eleventh day in a row, staring at the wall and trying to work through his shit... _It doesn't seem to be working. If anything, he feels worse now._ At least spending his time in the precinct meant he could share his friends' company. Now he's only left with his thoughts and the constant fear of inevitably experiencing pain again...

Nines shifts in his chair, cold trickles of fear working its way over his skin and the gaping void in his chest only seems to grow, gnawing. He folds his hands on his lap and looks out the window, noting the gray clouds replaced with darkness, haze drifting along the streets, soaking up the artificial light.

_At least he can sleep soon without the guilt of having had, yet another, unproductive day..._

He considers making an excuse to himself for an early night before flinching at the unexpected knock on his door. _He's used to the muted ambiance of his neighbors and the street outside._

Nines takes a slow, deep inhale to clear his thoughts before standing, brushing down his uniform on his way to the door. He's not sure who he was expecting, but upon seeing Detective Reed in his hallway, Nines feels elated. _The first good emotion in such a long time... But he's curious as to the reason for his unannounced visit._

Nines gives, what he hopes, is a warm smile to his partner. "Detective Reed, this is unexpected."

He grins back, thumbs tucked in his pockets. "Hello to you too, Dipshit. Missed you round the precinct. All I get is Tina talking my ear off about her new girlfriend, so thought I'd stop by... And it's Gavin, how many times have I gotta tell you?"

"Gavin." Nines amends, hand still resting on the door handle. _Gavin missed him? ... Should that make him as happy as it does?_ Nines feels a little warmth trickle into his cheeks at the thought. Even with their relationship starting off as rocky as it did, Nines has grown fond of Gavin. His deviation cast a new light on those muted feelings behind the veil of the red wall. 

Gavin leans to the side, peering past Nines and into his small home consisting of a single room and small wet room off to the side. "Sooo... You gonna let me in or we just gonna talk in the doorway?"

"Oh, of course. Please, come in." Nines quickly steps to the side, holding the door open for his partner and tries to ignore the little tickle of embarrassment for not inviting Gavin in. _He got distracted by the happiness of seeing his partner again after so long. As Captain Fowler said. He really needs to get his shit together..._

===

Gavin hunches over the steering wheel again, tapping his fingers on the dash with his spare hand as he finishes off his coffee. He's just got off of his bullshit shift and can't wait to get his ass back home to his fluffy little murderers... _But he couldn't stop staring at the empty seat usually taken up by his partner._ It's weird not having Nines around to keep him company... _Throws his whole day off._

He asked Connor where Nines lives and now he's parked outside, debating on whether it's the right thing to do... Just fucking popping up out of nowhere... _Maybe the guy still needs some time after all the shit he went through..._

_Fuck it..._ Gavin downs the last of his drink and steps out into the light rain, hunching up his shoulders on his way to the entrance and gives his jacket a light shake once he's inside. He checks his phone for the floor and door number again before stepping into the elevator, hands tucked away into his pockets as the floor rumbles beneath his feet. 

_Everywhere's so clean..._ Not the usual shit sprinkled round the place from people who don't give a damn. No random shoe tucked away in a corner or cigarette butt wedged against the wall where the vacuum didn't suck it up. _Damn place is making him feel guilty for having wet shoes._ He grumbles. "Anal androids."

The second the words leave his mouth, Gavin snorts out a chuckle, making his way down to - what he severely fucking hopes - is Nines' room. He raps his knuckles against the wood before tucking his hands into his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels, waiting.

Relief floods through Gavin to see his partner open the door and Nines flashes him a small smile, but Gavin notices the way his eyes still look sad. His eyebrows... Shoulders slumped... He looks kinda tired. Picking up on the details of expressions and body language is almost second nature with his job. _Gavin's glad he stopped by._

"Detective Reed, this is unexpected."

Gavin tries to lighten things up, putting a cheerful tone in his voice and throws in the fact he's missed Nines' company. "Hello to you too, Dipshit. Missed you round the precinct. All I get is Tina talking my ear off about her new girlfriend, so thought I'd stop by... And it's Gavin, how many times have I gotta tell you?"

Nines corrects himself and Gavin looks past him, curious what his home looks like. "Sooo... You gonna let me in or we just gonna talk in your doorway?"

"Oh, of course. Please, come in." 

Nines is quick to step out of the way and Gavin goes inside, taking a look around and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed... _It's fucking barren._ The room's empty except for a chair and desk against the far wall with a dresser and mirror on the adjacent wall... _At least the idiots got the heating turned on._

Half of Gavin wants to fake being nice, to compliment Nines home... But that's not the half that wins, and he sucks air through his teeth before turning on the spot to look at Nines with a crooked eyebrow. "So... You just moved in or moving out? Jackshit in here."

Nines nods a little in agreement and sighs. "Neither. I admit, it's not particularly... _Homey,_ but I have everything I need."

Gavin hums in response, not agreeing, but acknowledging what he said. _He can't help but think about the fact Nines is supposed to be getting some R and R, not torturing himself in a replica of one of their interrogation rooms... Dead as fuck in here._ "If you say so, big guy... Hey, where's your bed?"

Nines blinks. "I don't have one."

"You gotta be shitting me. No bed? Where the fuck do you sleep? I know Connor sleeps cause Hank's said about it before... Is it cause you're like... State of the art and shit?"

Nines shakes his head and gestures over to the empty corner of his room. "A bed isn't a requirement for androids. I stand there when I need to enter stasis..." Nines hesitates before letting out a reluctant sigh. "...Although, since deviating, I do find myself entering stasis while seated instead... Standing is somewhat unpleasant now. I want to relax my limbs."

_Fuck's sake, why is Nines torturing himself? Fucking idiot._ Gavin sighs and throws his hand up in a mixture of frustration and confusion. "Then get a fucking bed, dipshit. You got enough room in here." 

He notices the guilty flinch from his partner and Gavin teases him in hopes of twisting a smile out of the guy. He smirks and pops an eyebrow up at Nines. "I mean, you gotta get a bed... How else you gonna get freaky now you're a deviant and shit?"

Nines frowns for a second, then a short, breathy chuckle exits him. _It makes Gavin feel better.. Seeing Nines laugh, even if it's only for a second._

"I don't think I'll be having to prepare for such encounters any time soon, Detective..."

Gavin chuckles dirtily. "I dunno, Tincan... You're not too bad. Oh man, I remember when I moved into my first apartment, spent a fortune on this big ass bed. It did well till I brought someone home and the whole corner just fucking caved in on itself. Ended up dragging the mattress onto the floor... Wasn't too bad, didn't have to worry about the headboard banging on the wall and pissing off the neighbor."

Gavin laughs to himself at the memory of that one guy falling back with him and the way his heart jumped into his throat when the bed cracked. It was sad to see it go, but not enough to stop his fun. He mourned his loss the day after.

Nines politely laughs at his story. "Well, I hope your current bed base is more durable than the last."

Gavin shrugs his shoulders up, hands in his jacket pockets. "Fucking tragically I haven't had any action in a long time so, durable or not, it won't make a difference. Work's hectic, I ain't got time to go hunting for a lay... Shit, am I getting old? I'm getting old... I'd rather sit and watch tv than go out and get laid."

Nines seems to perk up a little and smiles warmly. "Detective, your promiscuity, or the lack thereof, has little to no effect on dictating whether you're _'old'_ ."

_It's almost a shock to realize how long it's been since he's gotten laid. Half of his twenties were spent dragging people home for a hard, stress-relieving fuck, and now? Closest he gets to stress relief is binging a box set and knocking one out._ Gavin rolls his eyes, pushing out an exaggerated groan. "It's this goddamn job... That's why Hank's already fucking gray in his fifties, he's gonna go white by the time he hits sixty and bald by seventy."

"I have no doubt that this line of work can produce enough stress to trigger canities, but Lieutenant Anderson shows no signs of a receding hairline."

Gavin scoffs over at his partner with a grin. "Nah, I bet it's a fucking wig."

Nines sighs. "It is not a wig, Gavin."

_He knows it's not._ "You never knoooow."

Nines shakes his head, crossing his arms in front of his chest and Gavin can't help but smile just that little bit more to see his partner being a bit more like himself. _That being a stubborn pain in the ass that has smug as fuck expression when he knows he's right._

"I can say with confidence that Lieutenant Anderson is not wearing a _wig_ , Detective... Simple logic aside, Connor would tell me if that were the case."

Gavin perks up an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? Connor tell you all Anderson's juicy, little secrets?"

He watches Nines' eyes flick off to the side and the tiny hint of a smirk that appears for barely a second. "No."

_Fuckin' liar._ Gavin chuckles at Nines before pulling out his phone to check the time, tapping the screen on. _Damn, it's late... He needs to get back to check on the kits. He leaves plenty of food out for them but he's been gone a long time today._ He sighs. "It's late... Gotta get my ass back home before the cats rip everything to shreds looking for their dinner."

"Oh... Of course."

Gavin looks up at his partner with an apologetic smile but it melts off the second he sees Nines' completely deflate at his words... Shoulders slumping down again, eyes flicking down to the floor and the flash of red on his LED doesn't go unnoticed. _He looks fucking crushed._ Gavin's chest clutches a little at seeing his friend look so fucking dejected and he looks around the room again. _This place is fucking dead... He'd go mad cooped up in here._

He remembers going full-on hermit for a while during a bad bout of mental health... Didn't do him any favors and it's a bitch to try and climb out of that place alone. Tina's helped him out his misery pit countless times, hell, once even Hank showed up at his place because he'd needed firmer words. _He's lucky he has people around giving a shit about him._

He looks at his partner, eyes downcast. _...But Nines isn't one to ask for help... He spent eleven fucking days going stir crazy in this tomb instead of messaging Gavin, or anyone, to drop by for a visit. Stubborn fucker._

He's lost on how to help Nines before an idea springs to mind. _Fuck all to do in Nines' catacomb of a room, but Gavin's cat's just had kittens and if anything can cheer the guy up, it's gotta be those rambunctious little fluffbutts._ Gavin shoves his hands in his pockets and offers. "Well, I gotta get home, but you can still stop by tonight if you want. Hazel's had some kits, you can meet the little shitheads."

Gavin can practically see the relief wash over Nines' and his LED settles again on a slow pulse of yellow. _He hardly ever sees blue settle on his partner's temple anymore since the accident..._ Nines smiles, a small sigh leaving him and the gratitude is clear but gentle in his tone. 

"Yes, I'd love to meet them."

**Author's Note:**

> <3 Thank you for kudos and doubly so for comments <3


End file.
